Extended hopper assembly with ejector plate



Oct. 14, 1969 w. M. FELTS 3,472,399

EXTENDED HOPPER ASSEMBLY WITH EJECTOR PLATE Filed Sept. 28, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY WALLACE M. FELTS BY// W. M. FELTS Oct. 14, 1969 EXTENDED HOPPERASSEMBLY WITH EJEC'I'OR PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1967 WALLACE M. FEL TS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,472,399 EXTENDED HOPPER ASSEMBLY WITH EJECTOR PLATE Wallace M. Felts, Fort Worth, Tex., assignor to Fruehauf Corporation, Detroit, MICIL, a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 671,356

Int. Cl. B65g 67/04 US. Cl. 214-41 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention has reference to handling refuse such as trash and garbage and relates to my copending application, Ser. No. 590,885, filed Oct. 31, 1966 now Patent No. 3,417,883, which issued Dec. 24, 1968. ,The copending application is directed to a transfer station having upper and lower levels accommodating trash collecting vehicles on the upper level and larger transfer vehicles on the lower level. The refuse is dumped from the collecting vehicles into hoppers where it is held until transfer vehicles are available. Thus, the collecting vehicles do not have to stay off of their routes during those periods of time when they would otherwise be traveling to and from city dumps or incinerators. Each hopper of the copending application accommodates one truck at a time and each hopper has a movable bottom closure which retains the refuse until ready to be transferred.

The primary object of the present invention is to pro vide, in a refuse transfer station, an extended hopper assembly for storing large volumes of refuse, together with ejection means for moving and dumping the refuse into transfer vehicles.

Another object is to provide an elongate hopper in a refuse transfer station whereby several collector vehicles may empty their contents into the hopper at the same time.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal sectional view, shown partly in elevation, of a hopper according to the invention. The hydraulic power unit and connecting lines are schematically shown.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a broken perspective view of the closure mechanism at the discharge end of the hopper, and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of a typical refuse transfer station according to the invention.

The transfer station shown in FIGURE 4 includes an open concrete structure having a wide inclined vehicle ramp 11 extending to its top 12 and has a lower driveway 13 therethrough. The top 12 of the structure and the driveway 13 are also herein referred to as the upper and lower levels of the transfer station. Supported by a steel frame 14 within the upper portion of the structure 10 there is an elongate open top hopper 15 having side walls 16, a cylinder supporting end wall 17 and a hopper end wall 18. The side and end walls 16 and 18 have downwardly and inwardly inclined bafiles 19 along their lower edges. Except for the length of a cylinder and ejector plate assembly to be described and a discharge Patented Oct. 14, 1969 opening 20 adjacent the end wall 18, there is a floor 21 within the hopper 15 supported on cross members 22, the ends of which are connected with the hopper supporting frame 14.

As referred to, there is a cylinder and ejector plate assembly 25 in that end of the hopper including the cylinder supporting wall 17. The cylinder 26 is hydraulically operated and is of the telescoping type. The small end of the cylinder 26 is mounted on a frame 27 on the inner face of the wall 17 and a vertical ejector plate 28 is mounted on the large end of the cylinder by angular braces 29 which extend to stiffeners 30 on the face of the plate. As shown in FIGURE 2, the ejector plate 28 is shaped to conform to the hoppers side walls 16 and bafiles 19. On the sides of the plate 28, and located near the baffles 19, there are guide shoes 31 which slide in channel shaped horizontal tracks 32 on the inner surfaces of the hopper walls 16.

Horizontal bulkheads 33 are provided beneath the discharge opening 20 and serve as a closure. The bulkheads 33 are slidably mounted in a frame 34, of channel stock, best shown in FIGURE 3, and are operated by opposing hydraulic cylinders 35 in the ends of the frame. It is to be noted that one end portion of the frame 34 extends outwardly of the end of the hopper 15 and that the remaining end portion extends under the hopper floor 21. There is a depending skirt 36 along the lower edge of the end baflle 19, which skirt extends to the top of the frame 34. Similarly, there are depending skirts 37 along the lower edges of the side baflies 19 which extend to the lower side edges of the frame.

As shown only in FIGURE 1, there is a hydraulic power unit 38 on the upper level 12 of the structure 10 and, as shown, includes a base 39, a pump 40' and a control panel 41, all in the usual manner. Hydraulic lines 42 extend to the ejector plate operating cylinder 26, other lines 43 extend to the cylinders 35 which operate the bulkheads 33 and additional lines 44 extend to quick disconnect couplings 45 near the lower level 13. The quick disconnect couplings 45, in turn, are connected with flexible lines 46 for operating packer blades (not shown) in a transfer trailer TT when the latter is stopped beneath the hopper discharge opening 20. It is to be understood that the transfer vehicle need not be :a trailer TT, and that the transfer vehicle may have a self contained hydraulic system, in which case the last referred to additional hydraulic lines 44 are not used.

In operation, collecting trucks CT are backed on the ramp 11 to the top of the structure 10 and the contents of the trucks are dumped into the hopper 15. An elongate curb or stop 47 on the upper level 12 prevents the collecting trucks CT from backing too far. Aftena transfer trailer TT is positioned beneath the hopper discharge opening 20 the bulkheads 33 are separated and the collected refuse is pushed through the opening by the ejector blade 28. Thus, in view of the described construction and operation, large volumes of refuse may be rapidly collected and stored in the hopper 11 at a location convenient to several refuse collecting routes. The collected refuse is then carried to a dumping ground by a single transfer vehicle.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refuse transfer station having upper and lower levels and vehicle supporting means on each, an elongate hopper within the upper portion of said station and having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, said opening being located over the lower vehicle supporting mearls, said hopper including side walls extending the length thereof, at least one vertical transverse ejector plate within said hopper and mounted for movement along at least a portion of the length thereof toward said opening, the height of said ejector plate being substantially equal to ing said ejector plate.

2. In a refuse transfer station as defined in claim 1, the construction including a movable bulkhead covering said discharge opening.

3. In a refuse transfer station as defined in claim 1, the construction wherein the length of said hopper and the width of the upper vehicle supporting means are sufficient to accommodate at least two refuse collecting vehicles in side by side relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,059,789 10/1962 Bowles 214-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,154 11/1935 Australia.

10 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner 

